‘Oral Me’ toothpaste raising eyebrows in Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur, April 7 (IANS) Malaysians are debating whether Oral Me as a toothpaste brand name is sexually suggestive or not and the product is raising laughs as well as eyebrows in the country. Manufactured by a local company, Kulim, based in Kedah state, the marketing of the toothpaste has got the conservatives protesting, New Straits Times newspaper said Monday.

Melissa Leong, 28, felt the brand name had a sexual connotation.

“Manufacturers should think twice when naming their products,” she said.

Kuala Lumpur based advertising executive Martin Voon wondered if the manufacturer understood the phrase while coining the brand name.

“I’m shocked. Such words are normally found on a spoof,” he said.

Kieran Sharkey, an English teacher, said the name does not carry a positive connotation and could be misconstrued.

“With the amount of information available to the younger generation, I feel they can interpret it wrongly. Manufacturers should be careful. Otherwise they will be made fun of,” Sharkey said.